Day 105 - 1 Kings 20-22

ONE-YEAR JOURNEY OF THE BIBLE
Day 105 - 1 Kings 20-22 (God's Mercy on the Evil Ahab)
(To View Past Posts Click: http://tonyvicreyes1-yearbible.blogspot.com/)

^"But there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do wickedness in the sight of the LORD, because Jezebel his wife stirred him up.  And he behaved very abominably in following idols, ...So it was, when Ahab heard those words, that he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his body, and fasted and lay in sackcloth, and went about mourning.  And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, "See how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the calamity in his days. In the days of his son I will bring the calamity on his house."  (1 Kings 21:25-29)

Ahab's notoreity in the Bible was exceeded that of any other evil person as we read from our text above. Interestingly, he was married to a woman named Jezebel whose notoriety exceeded that of all other women in the Bible.  In fact, we read that she was mainly responsible for the evil that Ahab did.  

Nevertheless, when God condemned Ahab through the prophet Elijah because of all his evil, Ahab repented in sackcloth and fasting and mourned for his sins.  As a result of Ahab's genuine repentance, God had mercy on him and did not bring the calamity which He had pronounced on him in his lifetime but did so in the days of his son Ahaziah.

In the Bible, we learn that there is no person too evil that God will not forgive him if he truly repents.  The apostle Paul declared that he considered himself the chief of sinners for persecuting Christians to their death before he met the Lord Jesus on the road to Damascus.  

I realize that in all likelihood, no one who may be reading this short devotional would consider himself an evil person like Ahab.  The truth is, the Bible teaches that is there is no one who is good and that all are evil:

         "There is none righteous, no, not one; 
        There is none who understands; 
        There is none who seeks after God. 
        They have all turned aside; 
        They have together become unprofitable; 
        There is none who does good, no, not one."  
        "Their throat is an open tomb; 
        With their tongues they have practiced deceit";  
        "The poison of asps is under their lips";  
        "Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness."  
        "Their feet are swift to shed blood; 
        Destruction and misery are in their ways; 
        And the way of peace they have not known."  
        "There is no fear of God before their eyes." (Romans 3:10-18)

We all need to do what Ahab did and repent of all our wickedness before God and fall on His mercy through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ.  Praise God that we have His promise that all who do so will surely find forgiveness because of the sacrifice of Christ on the cross of Calvary.  To God be all the praise and glory and honor for His loving mercy!  Amen!